Guitar Pickups - Poll - Please Read

  • What pickups do you have 129

    The result is only visible to the participants.

    Hi All,


    Most guitar/pickups react differently to the same profile. My goal is to understand as many players as I can.


    If you read this thread please do vote for all pickups you currently have. If you have time, please respond with the make and models you have settled on.


    All the Best,

    LiveReadySound

  • Shouldn't there be an option for passive SC and one each for active HC/SC and passive HC/SC, Tim?


    I have both - 1 active HC/SC set and 1 passive HC/SC set and none of the voting options allows me to specify this.


    I suspect many (most?) are in the same boat.

  • I mainly use PRS these days. I have a DGT with vintage PAF style HBs, a P22 with prototypes of the 85/15 PUPs and a piezo bridge, and 513 with Single coil, low output HB and Higher output HB modes. I also use a guitar I built with a pair of Seymor Duncan P-Rails with P90, Single Coil, Parallel HB and series HB options.


    Older guitars that I don’t play as much these days include a Levinson Blade R4 Strat style (not the R4H so no Hb in the bridge). Ibanez AS50 (335 style) with Seymour Duncan 59s. Yamaha MSG Custom; 2 HB with coil taps. Both the Levinson and the Yamaha have built in pre amps but I am not counting these as active PUPs. My understanding is that they a traditional passive PUPs when the built in Pre Amp is bypassed. Plus, I rarely play either of them now.


    I’m in the process of building a couple of other guitars. A semi hollow with Setmour Duncun Hot Humber set. And a 59’s style Tele.

  • I have one with SD Pegasus/Sentients in it, which I'm not particularly fond of but I don't hate. Another has a Dimarzio D-Sonic and a Liquifire. I am quite fond of that combo.

    Just a guy who plays a little bit of guitar.

  • Devin Townsend Fishmans


    I want some p90s too


    Vox made these double rail p90 combo pickups that i wish Fishman would make.


    They are a p90 squeezed in between a humbucker rail set. Lot of switching options.

  • I have Seymour Duncan JB/59, JB/Jazz and EMG 81/89. I really love SD sets, especially for clean/crunchy. For metal I can't hear significant difference between SD and EMGs (maybe more output and compression).

  • I don’t have any active pickups but do have a healthy dose of passive humbuckers, single coil, P90 and ‘other’ - I got a Vela a couple of weeks ago which apparently has a Gretch direction neck. I’ve never had a Gretch so can’t comment on the comparison but the neck pickup is lovely and a bit different from the usual suspects so that is the ‘other’.


    Not trying to be a killjoy but ‘what are you hoping to achieve?’ If you look on the Bareknuckle page in the humbucker section, there is a vast difference from one end of the spectrum to the other in terms of output and ‘which bits of the spectrum get emphasised’. Ditto other manufacturers. And that is before you’ve considered what guitar it’s in (bridge, Wood, scale length, pickguard mounting or not etc) all make a difference. And then the pickup height, string gauge, plectrum..... And the person - not just the way they play but also what their ears think of as a P90 sound or a PAF.

  • I am building a Tele with SHSH configuration. Yes. A 4 pickup Tele.


    The use case is primarily for recording. And no I don't care about the aesthetics.


    Two will be Fishman Fluence Greg Kock Gristletones in their normal positions. In the middle position I will place a Fluence Open Core Humbucker. The 2 Gristletones will have a separate output from the Open Core Humbucker.


    The fourth pickup will be a Cycfi Nu2 Multi hexaphonic. It looks like a single coil, but it is actually a passive humbucker with low impedance and high output. Its frequency response is much wider than a standard humbucker.


    Cycfi sells a Lemo 19 pin cable that will carry the 8 audio streams from the guitar to a breakout box.


    I will start with a used 2017 or 2018 Tele American Elite. I like the compound shape and curvature of the Elite neck.


    The guitar will have all of its hardware and electronics removed. I will send it to SuperVee to have one of their Maverick tremolo bridge system installed.


    Then I will route the spaces for the Nu2 Multi and the Open Core pickups, and install hardware and electronics. The tuning machines will be locking Graphtech Ratios. I will also be using Graphtech Tusq XL nut and string trees.


    I will sell the original hardware, pick guard, and electronics.

  • I have an American Strat with Fralin single coils and a PRS SE Custom 24 with Bareknuckes Rebel Yell humbuckers.


    Both are fantastic guitars, but I prefer the way the PRS plays.

  • I use passive humbuckers pickups other than my two Fender Telecasters with old original pickups from 1966 and the other from 1972. I have two custom guitars with some old Dimarzio humbuckers (12K bridge, 8K neck) that are Alnico 5's. My other guitars haver been outfitted with some custom wound humbuckers from my friend Polar. 3 vintage outputs (8.7K bridge and 7.7K necks) with Alnico 4's and 4 vintage but with more beef at 12.5K bridges, 8K necks with Alnico 5's. They are great for old school and good modern grind.

  • Ive got quite as few but my main pickup choices are:

    Seymour JB's

    EMG Zakk Wlyde sets

    Bareknuckle humbuckers - I have about 6 or 7 sets, can;t exactly remember which ones!

    Gretsch/TV jones Filtertrons